Honeybees Survive Weeks Buried Under Volcanic Ash in La Palma

Tens of hundreds of honeybees in Spain’s Canary Islands can now add “survived a volcano” to their bucket checklist. Well, since they’re bees, we’ll add it for them.

A gripping and pleasant report within the New York Times on Saturday informed the story of 5 hives of honeybees who have been left unattended after the eruption of the Cumbre Vieja volcano in La Palma, which blew on Sept. 19, for about 50 days (their beekeeper had been pressured to go away the realm). In current weeks, when the beekeeper returned, he discovered the hives lined in volcanic ash.

Inside the hives, nonetheless, the scene was completely completely different. The beekeeper discovered tens of hundreds of reside honeybees, a part of the native Canary black bee species, who had managed to hold on regardless of the warmth and toxic gases launched by the volcano, the Times reported. They might have additionally gotten fortunate as a result of they have been lined with light and porous ash, which allowed air to cross by means of the hives.

Not all honeybees on La Palma have been so fortunate, although. Spanish information company EFE reported {that a} group of hives closest to the Cumbre Vieja’s important cone had been lined fully by lava, which killed them.

Antonio Quesada, a fellow beekeeper and a spokesperson for the Gran Canaria Beekeepers Association, informed the outlet that {that a} key a part of the bees’ survival was propolis. Produced by bees, propolis is a sticky substance constituted of resins the bugs acquire from vegetation and buds. Often referred to as “bee glue,” propolis is usually used to clean tough surfaces or seal crevices in hives.

The La Palma bees used propolis for the latter. Quesada mentioned they managed to seal themselves inside their hives to guard themselves from the volcanic gases, which could be probably dangerous to folks, animals, vegetation, and property. The bees additionally thought of meals and ate from the honey shops that they had inside their hives.

“It’s incredible how such a tiny animal that has been around for hundreds of thousands of years can maintain that resilience, that ability to survive,” Quesada informed the outlet.

That’s not all they did, although. Although they sealed themselves of their hives, they made certain to go away a miniscule pathway to the skin so they might get out sooner or later.

The ethical of this story is that honeybees are the most effective preppers for the tip of the world. Considering how issues are going, we might be taught from them. Cumbre Vieja continues to be erupting, in spite of everything, and scientists do not know when it’ll cease.